The Wildhearts ‘Diagnosis’

Okay … so this might not be a typical review, but this is not a typical album …

2019 has been a pretty good year for The Wildhearts and their fans. Their long-awaited ‘Renaissance Men’ album was released in May (which will feature within many of our best albums of the year lists), immediately followed by the first leg of a sold-out UK tour. Then a mere 5 months later up pops a new mini-album (which provides ‘Renaissance Men’ with some very serious competition) to be followed by the second leg of a UK tour.

As an artist, and individual, Ginger has been refreshingly open about his mental health problems which provide the focus for this explosive mini-album and we are lucky that he is still alive and producing music of this standard to entertain us.

In a statement on their Facebook page earlier this month, the band explained “Mental Health is something that we as a band deeply care about …’Diagnosis' is about mental health institutions and the medical health profession in this country, and about how it's letting people down. How the system is broken, and how the suicide rate is not getting any less. Depression and mental illness isn't an issue that attacks any one type of person. Whether you're homeless or if you're rich, this illness is taking people out on a regular basis”. Buyers of physical copies of the mini-album will also find contact cards for the Samaritans included.

Opening the mini-album is title track ‘Diagnosis’, a track lifted from ‘Renaissance Men’ and providing a link between the two studio recordings for those who appreciate this kind of thing. For those unfamiliar with the track it starts a bit like a Motorhead vs. Status Quo riff-off led by Angus Young with Ginger’s familiar hooks and lyrical style stamped all over it. Listening to the lyrics the inspiration for the material couldn’t be clearer and will connect with others who feel let down by the system -

“The system is f****d ….. You are not your diagnosis … Simplified for them to understand … You’re not an animal… I’m not an animal …. I am a human being … You're not an out of touch text, in an out of date textbook. One cure fits all, if it's to justify the letters on the name on the plaque upon the wall. But if they looked a bit harder, And if they dug a bit deeper, Or If they came a bit cheaper, They'd see a congenital glitch, Not a burden on the rich”.

Swapping lead vocal duties, CJ takes us into ‘God Damn’, initially sounding like a prime slice of Californian skater punk, before developing into something altogether faster, heavier, punkier and better.

‘A Song About Drinking’ very quickly follows … fast, furious, fun and fantastic. Enough said.

Next up is ‘The First Time’ which provides an instant lesson to wannabe power pop songwriters. Just forget it, throw the rule book out of the window. Why waste time building a song up with carefully-constructed verses and a bridge when the chorus can burst out of your speakers at the start, grab your attention, implant itself in your mind and never let you go?

Moving on, I’m not the first reviewer to sense Danny’s influence on ‘That’s My Girl’ – a cracker of a track recalling The Boys and which could easily have taken pride of place on a Yo-Yo’s or Main Grains album … just think ‘Keepin’ On, Keepin’ On’ meets ‘I’d Rather Be in California’.

Breathlessly closing this short, frantic and intense 6-track mini-album is the more challenging ‘LOCAC’ which could only be described (in a good way) as a short slice of grinding, thrashy, industrial noise.

‘Diagnosis’ is the latest in a long line of examples of what The Wildhearts do best – play instantly memorable, fast, hook-laden, sing-a-long slices of power pop noise, with solid playing from all throughout.

Comparisons with ‘Renaissance Men’ are unavoidable, as, collectively, Ginger, CJ, Danny and Ritch raised the bar a number of notches earlier this year and it was always going to be hard to follow this up. As the wayward offspring of ‘Renaissance Men’, ‘Diagnosis’ is heavier, darker, punkier, but every bit as good.

As a fan of rock music and also as someone with lived experience of mental health – thanks, guys. This album works on many levels. As I’ve said before - buy it, don’t stream it. The bands we love make hardly anything out of streaming.

And, be kind. One in four of us will experience mental health problems at some point in our lives – the rates are even higher amongst musicians. That’s a big chunk of our community. Take care.

On a lighter note, time to press ‘repeat’ and start pogo-ing ….

‘Diagnosis’ will be released on 4 October 2019.